Samuel Dibble (September 16, 1837 – September 16, 1913) was a lawyer, educator and

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

veteran who served several terms as

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

during the 1880s.

Birth and childhood

Samuel Dibble was born in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

, the oldest son of Philander Virgil (1808-1883) and Frances Ann (Evans) Dibble (1815-1891). Philander and his brother Andrew Dibble (1800-1846) moved from

Bethel, Connecticut Bethel () is a New England town, town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the town was 20,358. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connect ...

, to Charleston engaging in business together as

hatters Hat-making or millinery is the design, manufacture and sale of hats and other headwear. A person engaged in this trade is called a milliner or hatter. Historically, milliners made and sold a range of accessories for clothing and hairstyles. ...

. Ann Evans was a descendant of the Gabeau family of French Huguenots and the Henley family of England. Dibble is a direct descendant of Thomas Dibble who came from England to

Dorchester, Massachusetts Dorchester () is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood comprising more than in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Originally, Dorchester was a separate town, founded by Puritans who emigrated in 1630 from Dorchester, Dorset, E ...

, in 1630 as part of the

Puritan migration to New England (1620–1640) The Puritan migration to New England took place from 1620 to 1640, and declined sharply thereafter. The term "Great Migration" can refer to the migration in the period of English Puritans to the New England Colonies, starting with Plymouth Col ...

and in 1635, Thomas Dibble was one of the founders of

Windsor, Connecticut Windsor is a New England town, town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The town is part of ...

. Young Dibble pursued an academic course in Bethel, Connecticut (his father's birthplace), and Charleston, South Carolina.

College and law school years

Starting in 1853, Dibble attended the

College of Charleston The College of Charleston (CofC or Charleston) is a public university in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, it is the oldest university in South Carolina, the 13th-oldest institution of higher lea ...

for two years, and graduated A. B. from

Wofford College Wofford College is a private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1854, it is one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the American Civil War that still ope ...

Spartanburg, South Carolina Spartanburg is a city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city had a population of 38,732 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in South Carolina, 11th ...

, in July, 1856, under the presidency of Rev. William M. Wightman, being the first graduate of that institution. While at Wofford, Dibble was a member of the Calhoun Literary Society. Dibble later received the degree LL. D. from his alma mater. After graduating he taught at Shilow Academy and Pine Grove Academy in Orangeburg District from 1856 to 1857 and was assistant teacher of the preparatory department of

in the spring of 1858. Dibble also studied law between 1858 and 1859 under Jefferson Choice of Spartanburg, and Lesesne and Wilkins of Charleston, and was admitted as an attorney of law in December, 1859, and as a solicitor in equity in 1865 having studied equity under Hon. Charles H. Simonton. In January, 1860, he began his practice of law in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He served in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

throughout the

. He resumed the practice of law in Orangeburg, South Carolina and also edited the Orangeburg News.

Military service

On January 3, 1861, Samuel Dibble volunteered as a private in the Edisto Rifles in Col. Johnson Hagood's First Regiment of South Carolina Volunteers later attaining the rank of first lieutenant. The company later became a part of the Eutaw Regiment, Twenty-Fifth South Carolina Volunteers under Col. Charles H. Simonton, a part of Hagood's Brigade, Hokes' Division of the Army of Northern Virginia. He was also a lieutenant of

Wade Hampton III Wade Hampton III (March 28, 1818April 11, 1902) was an American politician from South Carolina. He was a prominent member of one of the richest families in the antebellum Southern United States, owning thousands of acres of cotton land in Sout ...

Politics

Samuel Dibble served as member of the State house of representatives in 1877 and 1878. Trustee of the University of South Carolina at Columbia in 1878. He served as member of the Board of School Commissioners of Orangeburg County. He served as delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1880. Presented credentials as a Democratic Member-elect to the Forty-seventh Congress to fill a vacancy thought to exist by reason of the death (pending a contest) of Michael P. O'Connor, and served from June 9, 1881, to May 31, 1882, when the seat was awarded to Edmund W.M. Mackey under the original election. Dibble was elected to the Forty-eighth and to the three succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1891). He served as chairman of the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds (Forty-ninth and Fiftieth Congresses). He declined to be a candidate for reelection in 1890.

Later life

He engaged in banking and other business interests in

Orangeburg, South Carolina Orangeburg, also known as ''The Burg'', is the principal city in and the county seat of Orangeburg County, South Carolina, Orangeburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population of the city was 13,964 according to the 2020 United Stat ...

. He died near

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, September 16, 1913, his 76th birthday. He was interred in Sunny Side Cemetery,

Sources

References

*
Samuel Dibble, Wofford CollegeVanBuren Lamb, Jr.,Your AncestorsDescendants of the Founders of Ancient Windsor

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dibble, Samuel 1837 births 1913 deaths College of Charleston alumni Wofford College alumni Confederate States Army officers Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina People of South Carolina in the American Civil War Members of the United States House of Representatives removed by contest 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly